11/15/2025
The Chandler Christmas Home Tour is Sunday, December 7 from 3 - 6, and Monday, December 8 from 6 - 9. Tickets are $10 and are available at Chandler Drug and at each home the nights of the event.
To give you a glimpse of what you will see we will be posting pictures of and informatiom about each home. The first home we will highlight is the Royston family home. Valerie and Webster Royston live at 20490 County Road 3302, Brownsboro with their golden doodles Dolly and Daisy. Their home is only a few miles from the red light in Chandler so don't let the Brownsboro address worry you. Web and Val are the Owners of Doc’s Cellar, co- presidents of Keep Chandler Beautiful, Chandler Chamber Board, Historical Society Board, and members of the East Henderson County Satellite Rotary.
Time at the farm: The Ponderosa, also known to our family as “The Farm” has been the anchor for many years of Christmas celebrations since our grandfather “Doc” Wideman purchased it back in 1966. Valerie has spent most of her holidays and summer vacations at the farm and she and Web now spend most of their time here and opened Doc’s Cellar 5 years ago in Chandler.
Fond Christmas memories at the farm: as a kid included picking out the perfect tree and cutting it down from the back woods, always a fire in the fireplace, card games by the fire, hayrides, feeding the animals, and of course football games on the old black and white television.
Christmas with their grandfather at the farm was the absolute best and they are blessed to be able to continue to enjoy this beautiful place that meant so much to him and their family.
Some fun history on The Ponderosa: The fireplace in the old house still stands and still gives the feel of being in that old living room. Weather permitting, they will have a fire there the night of the tour and invite you to walk down and cozy up to the fire.
The “new” house as they still call it was built in 1997 by Val's father and was recently renovated this past year. The new great room, which was the old screened in back porch, reminds Val of the back room in the old house where her grandfather painted. They have many of his paintings displayed throughout the house. There is also a series of snow pictures that he painted and gave to their parents as a Christmas gift back in the 1960s as well as a painting that he did of his old home place that still stands outside of town on FM 2010. The Wideman family built that house in the early 1900s.
With over 30 trees inside and out, they are excited to share the Dolly Parton room, whimsical moose, cardinal, angel, wine, Texas, candy/Dr. Pepper kitchen, and the traditional great room with you all! (Plus a few surprises). They look forward to seeing you on the tour!
